SummarySet in 1982 in small town Virginia, Permanent centers around 13-year-old Aurelie Dickson (Kira McLean) and her parents, Jeanne and Jim (Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson). the Dicksons are struggling through major life changes together all the while trying desperately to emerge intact on the other side. For the Dicksons family, just getting thro... Read More
Directed By:Colette Burson
Written By:Colette Burson
Permanent
Metascore
Mixed or Average
41
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
17% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
67% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
17% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Nov 18, 2017
63
The ending is entirely too pat, considering what’s come before. But Burson has channeled her dark memories of freshman year into something that occasionally touches and often tickles, but stings with familiarity, start to finish.
Dec 18, 2017
60
Arquette is charmingly endearing as the frustrated Jeanne, Wilson movingly conveys his character's vulnerability as well as his bluster and McLean is terrific as the beleaguered young girl desperate to have a mane like Farrah Fawcett's.
User score
Generally Favorable
50% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
33% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
17% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Dec 3, 2025
10
Quirky, loveable, relatable. Love the actors, the acting. Love the resilience of the main character. Inspiring.
Jun 18, 2020
6
Good movie and I like Rainn Wilson much better in these kind of movies vs the Meg kind of movies.
Dec 15, 2017
50
The film has a good comedic rhythm, and there's a rambunctious bickering energy in every scene. It's often quite funny. But Permanent feels like a short film stretched to feature length. It never quite rises above the level of its premise.
Dec 18, 2017
40
Apart from casting (which is just OK here, as Wilson resorts a bit too much to shtick, while Arquette reaches for sincerity), regionally- and period-specific details are the ingredient that make otherwise-interchangeable stories like this appealing.
Dec 18, 2017
40
As the parents, Mr. Wilson and Ms. Arquette seem just about as tired as the characters they’re playing. As Auralie, Ms. McLean is appealing and fresh-faced and could do well in a better coming-of-age movie in a few years.
Dec 18, 2017
30
Whatever affection the filmmaker might have for her characters, she does her actors no favors, leaving newcomers as well as seasoned talents flailing.
Dec 16, 2017
3
When a movie tries this hard to be quirky, it can be an over-the-top delight or an awkward disappointment. Unfortunately, this movie falls into the latter category. It's set in 80s Virginia, where almost everyone is unattractive, poorly dressed and has varying degrees of bad Southern accents. A 13-year-old (Kira McLean) is about to enter a new high school, so she gets her hair curled to help her fit in. As expected, it's a frizzy mess. Her zany parents (Patricia Arquette and Rainn Wilson) are occupied with their own problems. Even Oscar-winning Arquette is working too hard here. It doesn't help that the dialogue by Colette Burson frequently falls flat and her high-energy direction is often awkward. On the bright side, Richmond native Nena Daniels has the only moment of true emotion in the entire film.
Production Company:
- 2929 Entertainment
- Park Pictures
- Washington Square Films
Release Date:Dec 15, 2017
Duration:1 h 33 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Hairstyles are temporary, but family is forever.
